Cloudy in Beijing Blogging about my time in China

Lazy Camels rock

I want to be a Chinese rock star.

If I could start all over again, and change careers, I'd do it.

A lit cigarette in one hand, the mic in the other, and a mean mug on my face. I'd belt out my biting poetry and it'd chafe your soul. Then we'd rock until dawn, and not give a fuck.

This is what Lazy Camels did to me; the Chinese rock band had just played in a local club not far from my school. My roommate and I went, hoping to hear some good music. And it was bloody good, almost too good at times, leaving me to wonder what could have been if I only had some musical talent.

Last night was the first time I had ever really heard Chinese rock music being played on the mainland. Even though the music genre has been developing in China since the 80's, I had worried it still might suck.

Lazy Camels was the first band to play and it was the one I enjoyed the most. What surprised me about them was how they sang all their lyrics in English. Many Chinese rock bands do this because they try to imitate their American counterparts, or because they feel English is a better way to express their songs.

Ironically, I had no idea what Lazy Camels was singing about, but I was still entranced. My only disappointment came when I asked the band if they had a CD, and they said not yet.  (Unfortunately I also failed to catch one of their performances on my camera's video function. But you can listen to them at this website.)

Two other bands also played at the club. Pictured above is a band called Jin Ri Li Qiu 今日立秋, and means Today is the Start of Autumn. Dressed to look like medical professionals, they sang all their songs in Chinese, which I actually did understand a little bit. I recorded part of one of their songs, but the quality isn't too great.

Another band to play was called Old Fashion. My roommate enjoyed them the most, although I liked them the least. Their front man had a unique/unusual singing style that sort of reminded me of a monkey. He also sang in an English I could barely understand. In attendance were a group with one-half foreigners, the other half local Chinese.

The yearnings to be a Chinese rock star, have sadly, subsided. Instead, the journalistic impulses have kicked in as I try to write up this blog post. I'm no rock music connoisseur, so perhaps Lazy Camel and the others aren't as good as I claim. But last night, the Chinese rock gods put a spell on me.